as the world turns

I haven't been getting in as much practice as I'd like lately. And when I do get some time, my mind seems consumed with life right now.

Life has been a bit stressful. Not like "oh, i spilled coffee on my shirt, I was late for work, I need gas" stupid crap stressful......but like "life is F&#$ed up right now" stressful. I won't bore you with details. Pool is usually my savior. Kind of like surfing used to be when I lived back home - before I moved to the desert. (Which by the way has officially reach disgusting 100 degree plus summer heat). When doing things I LOVE....my mind slips into a state of slight coma and nothing enters or leaves my mind. I get into rhythm and let my body do what its supposed to. I don't think about anything....I just do it!

For the past week or so, I've played decent on league nights. Not great, could use improvement, decent! Won all of my matches - both 8 and 9 ball. Not great wins, just wins. I'm one of those who thinks that even if I won, I feel like I played bad when it applies. I also know when I've played well.....even if I've lost.

Then there's practice. I some how have let everything but pool enter my mind when I'm at the table. EVERYTHING BUT POOL. Why you ask? Beats the crap outta me? How is this happening? Singing along to the music overhead, wearing the iPod, FOCUSING on my shots - nope! Nothing is helping. The minute I get my mind back on pool, my shot, the table layout, my last shot.....it all slips away. I just cannot stay focused.



...are you kidding me?

I was at a practice table one night while my bf was playing league - a team I'm not on. Was playing okay. Took some shots that I knew probably were not the best shots at the moment, but took them anyway (its practice right?) and managed to still win my games, though not in the best possible way. I also made some ridiculously hard shots work and got a few glares from opponents. Whatever! No one had stepped up to play after I won the last one so I decided to keep throwing balls on the table and keep shooting.

About 30 minutes goes by and a guy from the opposing team my bf's team was playing walks up to me -

Wanna play a quick game?

(Ugh ~ NO but okay. Only because you're actually playing league tonight and this is the one practice table available.)

Sure...rack 'um!

I break, eh - nothing special but manage to drop 3 balls. Three stripes. I take solids. (What? They were laid out nicely and I knew if I played right, I'd be out.) I didn't even stand up from my first shot and


You know you should have taken stripes? There were already 3 stripes down?

No shit....really? (I musta missed that part since I broke!)

Yeah, and if you had......

I kept shooting. Didn't look up once. Shot. Shot again. Shot again. And again and again. I got a little out of shape on my last ball.

Let me know if you want any help!

(One - I don't know you....two - I will NEVER ask you for help. I'm perfectly fine on my own and it was you who asked to practice with me since I had won and had the table ....remember. UGH!)

I shot and got PERFECT shape on the 8 ;)

I stood up - looked him in the eye - a fired the 8 in like a bat outta hell.

I'm sorry....you were saying?

The best part about that win is I knew in my heart that I didn't play well. That I can play much, much better than that. I guess I should get some practice in ;)